Do You Have a Pregnancy Diet Plan?

The time you decide to have a baby is also the perfect time to give your own diet a makeover too. Sticking to a balanced diet during the time of pregnancy proves to be fruitful for the parents as well. A balanced and healthy diet ensures that your baby is born healthy. In addition to that, it also decreases the chances of any health complications related to the baby.

Here is a perfect diet plan for Pregnant mothers

Vitamin and Fibre Intake:

One of the best things for a baby is when a mother is eating a wide range of vegetables and fruits. Eating green vegetables and fresh fruits provides the body with the required fibres and vitamins. Which, in turn provide the body the energy it needs while keeping the immune system fit.

Calcium Consumption:

Studies suggest that calcium plays a vital role in the growth and wellness of an embryo. Once you are pregnant, make sure that you are getting enough of it to maintain a healthy body. Moreover, adding milk or yogurt to your cereal is a neat trick to include calcium in your diet. Vegans can also get their calcium-supply from green vegetables or soy.

Essential Carbohydrates :

It’s that time of your life when you can forget about low-carb diets. In fact, this is the time when your body needs even more energy. Carbohydrates are counted as the main energy source of the food groups. You can get the essential carbohydrates for your body from foods such as pasta, grains, bread and potato. In addition, complex carbs are known for releasing energy a little slowly. Thus, think of wholemeal pasta rather than regular pasta.

Getting Enough Proteins:

Increase the consumption of lean meats, pulses, eggs, and fish, as they are sources of pure protein. Try keeping red meat intake to a minimum. Also include vegetarian servings of protein in your diet on a regular basis, so as to strike a balance among your protein sources. Eating quinoa and tofu is also highly recommended as they considered as “fertility foods.”

Essential Fatty Acids for a Healthy Baby:

Make sure you include nuts, seeds, avocado, and oily fish in your diet as they are best known for containing essential fatty acids (EFA). EFAs are big players as they play a major role in the production of important hormones during pregnancy.

Fluid Intake Regulation:

It’s very important during a pregnancy that you regulate your water intake. For this, you need to drink plenty of water everyday (minimum 2-3 litres). This speeds up the process of transporting the hormones throughout the body.

Types of Food to Avoid when You’re Pregnant

You might think that there’ll be a long list of things here to avoid. But that’s not true. Let’s find out.

Foods with High Levels of Vitamin A:

High levels of Vitamin A are not recommended as they can result in irreversible birth defects. You should keep a check on the intake of Vitamin A rich foods and make sure it’s not overdone.

Deep Sea Fish:

Big fish that swim deeper in the ocean contain higher levels of mercury. Mercury is harmful and is capable of damaging a developing baby’s entire nervous system.

Processed Foods:

Over-consumption of processed food like ready meals, simple carbs and sugars are dreadful for a pregnant woman. They’re usually full of salt and sugar and should be avoided at this time when being healthy is your priority.

Alcohol:

Government recommendations suggest that the alcohol intake should be kept to a minimum. In fact, it should be avoided completely if possible.

Caffeine:

Drink your coffee in moderation. Some studies encourage pregnant women to limit their caffeine consumption to 200 mg per day. If consumed in excess, caffeine can even lead to a miscarriage. Keep in mind that a lot of medicines and soft drinks contain caffeine, so educate yourself based on their ingredients and try to stay away.

In Summary:

It is often seen that many couples face some health-related complications during pregnancy. A major factor that leads up to it is lack of proper knowledge regarding the kind of foods to eat and avoid. They usually eat whatever they want without realizing the fact that the food they’re consuming might be harmful for the baby. Therefore, keeping yourself well informed regarding the foods to avoid is the only way to make sure that both you and your baby are in good health.